Portable display board construction



June l, 1954 F. URBAIN PORTABLE DISPLAY BOARD CONSTRUCTION M M m m s m g L aw Filed April 6, 1950 Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT lOFF ICE PORTABLE DISPLAY BOARD CONSTRUCTION Claims. 1

This invention is concerned generally -With display boards such as vchalk boards and tack boards and particularly with an ornamental and protective trim for portable chalk boards and tack boards.

Portable display boards such as chalk boards which can be marked on with chalk or crayon andportable tack boards on .which papers and other items may be secured by thumb tacks are needed for educational purposes in rooms temporarily used as class rooms, on stages and in lecture halls and in other locations. Portable chalk boards and tack boards have great value as bulletin boards which can be positioned advantageously where they will attract the greatest possible attention. The materials from which modern chalk boards and tack boards are constructed are relatively light and hence easily carred about but are somewhat bendable and their edges are susceptible to wear and damage as by chipping and splintering.

The principal object of this .invention `is the provision of a portable display board having an edge trim to prevent wear and damage to the edges of said display board and to provide stiffening.

A more specic object of the present invention is the provision of a portable display board having an ornamental and protective edge trim readily attached thereto by conventional fastening means to prevent wear and damage to the edges of said display board.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a portable display board having an edge trim which includes integral structure adapted to receive article receiving means such as tack board strips and map holders.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a portable chalk .board having an edge trim including an integral chalk and eraser supporting tray.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a portable display board construction having an edge trim constructed to secure two or more panels of such boards in juxtaposition.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable chalk or tack board;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view in perspective taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 vis an enlarged sectional view in perspective taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modied form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a further modification;

Fig. 7 is a similar View of another modification;

Fig. Bis a sectional perspective view similar to Fig. 2 showing an Aedge trim supporting two boards in back-to-back relation;

Fig. 9 is a vview similar-to Fig. 8-of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 3 and showing two boards in -back-to-back relation;

Fig. 11 is a sectional perspective view of a center trim or divider securing two pairs of backto-back boards `in edgewise relation;

Fig. l2 is the form similar to Fig. ll and showing a mcdied form of the invention.

In Fig. l there is shown a portable vdisplay board I4 comprising two chalk board panels I6 and i8 having a divider or center trim 20 placed between them. Head trim 22 extendsover the upper edges of both panels while achalk trough or bottom trim 24 is secured over the lower edges. The extreme outer edges are covered by side trim 26. Each of the trims provides stifening for the boards.

The side trim Z and head trim 2.2 are lmitred at their joining corners to form an attractive'and functional joint. Each of these three edge trims is similar and their construction will be understood readily with reference to Fig. 2 whereinthe head trim 22 is shown in place on the chalk board panel l5. The head trim 22, Figure 2, comprises a channel member having a front wall 28 having a uted front face for a pleasing appearance. A rear Wall 30 which may be plain is spaced from the front Wall v28 the thickness of the chalkboard t6 and is maintained perpendicular to the front wall 28 by an interconnecting bight or edge wall 32. The rear wall 3l) is shown as being bevelled at 32 along its loweredge to prevent its catching upon any article against which itmay be leaned.

Modern chalk boards are generally made of fibrous material substantially similar in character to wood, and edge trim such as the head trim 22 may be secured thereto by wood screwsSll placed through spaced apertures in the rear .wall Stand .screwed into the chalkboard. The screws, being inserted from the. rear, are invisible when the chalk board is in use.

The-chalk trough 24 as may be seen 'in Fig. 3

face of the inner edge of the chalk tray 44 is inclined upwardly as at 48 and terminated in a feather edge 50 in close contact with the chalk board |6 to insure that chalk dust sifting down the front surface of the board will be directed into the chalk trough 44 from whence it readily may be swept. The undulations of the chalk trough prevent erasers placed thereon from resting in such chalk dust and in chalk dust sifting from erasers on the trough. As some weight may be placed on the chalk tray 44 from time to time, means is provided for maintaining the front wall 36 against the front face of the chalk board panel I6. Opposed apertures are provided in the front and rear walls at spaced intervals and holes are drilled through the chalk board panel I6 in alignment therewith to receive split bolts each comprising a female member 52 and a male member 54 screwed thereinto. The apertures are provided relatively close to the chalk tray 44 so that the split bolts will provide the greatest possible support therefor and so the heads of these bolts will generally be hidden by the chalk tray 44.

The center trim or divider 20 as may be seen in Fig. 4 comprises a fluted front face or wall 56 having a rear wall 58 connected to and spaced therefrom -by a transverse web 60. The walls and the web define a pair of channels receiving the chalk board panels |6 and I8 and the edges of the rear .wall 58 are preferably bevelled as at 62. No screws or other fastening members are needed in the center trim 20 as the chalk board panels I6 and I8 are prevented from moving away from one another by fasteners in the head trim and chalk trough and are prevented from sliding relative to one another by the head trim and chalk trough. Although the two panels |6 and I8 have both been referred to as chalk boards it is -to be understood that it is within the contemplation that either or both of these panels should be tack boards or display boards of any type.

In many instances it is desirable to provide a narrow tack board or slidable hangers at the top of a chalk board to secure papers, maps, and the like. in Fig. comprises a ute front face or wall 62 and a rear wall 64 spaced therefrom by an edge wall 66. The rear wall is preferably bevelled at its lower edge 68 and is apertured at intervals to receive wood screws for securing the trim to a chalk board 'I2 over which the trim is positioned. The upper and lower edges of the front wall 62 are provided with longitudinal outwardly extending and inturned confronting L-shaped flanges 14. The flanges 'I4 may secure a strip of cork or other tack board material or may slidably retain article supporting members.

A modified edge trim is shown in Fig. 6 which is mounted without depending in any way upon the screw retaining ability of the chalk board or tack board. Similarly to the structure shown in Fig. 2, the edge trim 16 comprises a iiuted front wall 18 and a. rear wall 80 having a bevelled lower edge 82. An edge wall 84 interconnects the front and rear walls 18 and 80. An intermediate longi- 'Ihe modification of the invention shown I tudinal wall or web 86 extends from the edge wall B4 parallel to the front and rear walls and spaced at a convenient distance from each. The upper edge of the chalk board or tack board panel 88 is provided with a longitudinal slot or kerf 90 providing adjacent panel sections between which the intermediate wall 86 is received. Spaced apertures are provided in the intermediate wall 86 in alignment with spaced apertures in the rear walll to receive and retain sheet metal screws 92 threaded thereinto from the rear of the edge trim. An edge trim for a portable chalk board is shown in Fig. '7 providing both a tack board and a map rail at the top of the chalk board.

The edge trim 94 as shown in Fig. 7 comprises a substantially flat front wall 96 having a rear wall 98 spaced therefrom by an edge wall |00, the lower edge |0| of the rear wall again preferably being bevelled. The top and bottom edges of the front wall 96 are'provided with outwardly extending and inturned confronting longitudinal L-shaped flanges |02 and with a substantially T-shaped flange |04 spaced therebetween. The lower flange |02 and T-shaped flange |04 secure a strip of cork |06 or other tack board material and a slidable map carrier |08 is secured by the upper flange |02 and T-shaped flange |04 intertting with channels ||0 therein. A hook ||2 and spring clip ||4 are carried by the carrier |08 so that when the trim 94 is slipped over the top edge of the chalk board ||6 and secured thereto as by screws threaded into the rear thereof, maps and other permanent papers may be secured by hooks ||2 and spring clips H4, and less permanent papers may be secured by thumb tacks extending through them into the tack board |06.

In Figs. 8-12 various edge and center trims are shown for mounting chalk boards and tack boards in back-to-back relation. By this means a single board construction may be used alternatively to be written upon by chalk or marking pencil or to have papers and the like affixed thereto by means such as thumb tacks. The backs of the chalk boards and tack boards are spaced slightly from one another so that the boards may expand and contract relative to one another` with changes in temperature. The edge trim is somewhat resilient and the boards themselves possess some degree of resiliency so that the slight difference of the coecients of thermal expansion of the two boards may be compensated for by slight deformation of the boards and of the edge trim.

As shown in Fig. 8 an edge trim ||6 comprises two panel receiving channels ||8 and |20 parallel to and spaced slightly from one another. The channels are defined by front and rear walls or faces |22 and |24 both of which are fluted longitudinally for attractive appearance, by an edge wall |26, and by a web |28 integral with the edge wall |26 and extending longitudinally intermediate the front and rear walls. A chalk board |30 fits between the front wall and the intermediate web while a tack board |32 comprising a panel |34 of cork or other tack receiving material and a panel |36 of stiffening material attached thereto is received in the channel ||8. Spaced apertures are provided in the rear wall |24 in alignment with apertures in the web |28, and sheet metal screws |38 are screwed through these apertures. The screws |38 extend through the tack board |32 and into the chalk board |30 to secure both of these boards. The screws are .held bythe web` |28 and hence need not depend upon the screw retaining ability of either of the'boards |30, |32. It is to be understood that although the walls |22 and |24 have been referred to as front and Arear walls respectively, this is for purposes of identification only as which 'wall is theA front wall and which wall is the rear wall depends upon which boardis being used. .It is within the contemplation or the invention that the board structure may be placed away from any wall so that both the chalk board and tack board may beused simultaneously.

Fig. 9 shows an edge trim which is particularly a head trim |40. The rear wall |132, edge wall |44 and longitudinal web 52E are similar to those shown in Fig. 8. The front wall Ult is riuted and is provided with longitudinal L-shaped flanges |50 and |52 extending toward one another on opposite edges of the wall and with an intermediate T-shaped longitudinal ange |54 placed between them. 'The three flanges dene a pair of article receiving channels, |55 and |58. The upper channel 55 specifically comprises a map rail which may receive slidable members such as the member |88 shown in Fig. 7 while the channel lili?. specifically secures a tack board strip its of cork or similar material. A chalk board E62 is received between the iront wall and the web while a tack board loll is received between the web and the rear wall. The head trim |29 is illustrated as securerJ by a split bolt comprising male and female members lull and |63 placed through aligned apertures the iront and rear walls and the web, and threadedly engaging one another.

A chalk trough or bottomrtrim V59 is shown in use with a chalk board |72 and a tack board IM in Fig. 10. The chalk trough comprises longitudinally luted front and rear walls llt and |248 respectively interconnected by a bottom or edge wall lili! bearing a longitudinal web |62. The front wall has an upper feather edge 84 from which an inclined surface |85 extends outwardly to an undulating chalk and eraser receiving tray outer edge I9@ for longitudinal stiifness. A split bolt comprising male and female members 92 and i9@ threadedly engaging one another is placed through the front and rear walls and the web of the chalk trough as well as the chalk board 'and tack board to secure the boar-ds and chalk trough to one another. AThe split bolt prevents the front wall 576 from being pulled away from the chalk board H2 when any force is applied to the top of the chalk and eraser tray iBS.

It is contemplated that portable chalk and tack boards may be provided in back-to-back relation and divided either vertically or horizontally. Such division may be used when it is desired to provide additional stiffness to a large board structure or when it is desired to utilize both a chalk board and a tack board on the same side of the portable board structure. In Fig. 1l a horizontal separator or center trim |92 is shown joining two pairs of back-to-back members in edgewise relation. The divider |92 comprises longitudinally Fluted front and rear walls igt and It-B respectively joined by a horizontal transverse web |98. Upper and lower longitudinal webs 231) and 232 extend from the horizontal web |98 intermediate the front and rear walls and form with these walls and the horizontal web four channels receiving chalk boards 2M and 206 and reinforced or stiflened tack boards 2&8 and 2|. The boards will be held from shifting in their respective planes |88 having a curled under A.

4relative to one another Iby headedge, andbottom trim such as that'shown in Flgs and -10 and it is not absolutely necessary that any means should be utilizedfor securing anyof the-boards to the divider |92. vFor purposes of added strength and security there is shown a fastener compris ing a split bolt 2|2 `'extending)through the front and rear walls and the opstanding webas well as through'the chalk board 204 and tack board 298.

A modified form of the divider shown in'Fig. 11 `is shown in Fig. l2 and vincludes -a map rail and a tack board on the chalk lboard fface ofthe portable board structure. In'Fig 12 thedivider 'lcomprises a longitudinal luted rear face or wall Zit interconnected with a luted front wall 218 by a horizontal transverse web 22D. The horizontal web is provided with upstanding 'and'depending intermediate longitudinal verticallyextending webs 5222 and 224 respectively, spaced between the front and rear walls. The front wall 2l S is provided 'at its upper and lower edges with longitudinally extending Leshaped flanges 226 and 228 inturned towardone'anotnerand is provided adjacent its midsection with `a longitudinally extending T-shaped flange 235). The L-shaped and T-shapedanges denne upper and lower article receiving channels 232 and 2S-li respectively. The upper 'channel 232 Yspecifically comprises a map .rail while the lower channel specifically secures a tack board-'strip *Rbot-cork or other suitable material. Chalk boards `233 and 2te and reinforced tack boards 242 and 2M are received in the channels dened by the'iront and rear walls and the horizontal and upstanding and depending websfand arefprevented from shifting by head, edge and bottom trim applied thereto. Additional strengthv and securiW are provided by a split bolt '266 extending throug'hithe rear wall 2 it, the front wall 2li?, the upstanding web 222 and through the chalk board '2 .'il and tack boardZllE.

Portable display boards which 'are readily'carriecl about and which will withstand rough "hand'ling have been disclosed herein. The display boards have great vuse wherever `it `is desired'to illustrate a lecture, post notices, pr otherwise visually impart information by marking with chalk or crayon or by temporarily supportingdisplay material.

Although certain 'forms of 'trim have beendisclosed herein it is to-be understood that this is for illustrative purposes 'only and that my invention broadly includes all that which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable display board construction comprising a pair of display panels having different coeicients of thermal expansion, a resilient extruded unitary protective trim mounted over corresponding edges of said panels and maintaining said panels in back-to-back relation, means for securing said protective trim over said edges, said trim comprising substantially parallel front and rear walls overlying outer surfaces of said panels adjacent said edges, an intermediate longitudinal web spaced between said front and rear walls and intermediate said panels to maintain them in spaced relation, and a Wall integral with and maintaining said web and said front and rear walls in predetermined spaced relation.

2. A portable display board construction comprising a panel having front and rear faces and a lower edge, a chalk trough over said lower edge comprising spaced front and rear walls overlying said front and rear faces adjacent said edge, said front wall having a surface engaging said front face, a bottom wall integral with and interconnecting said front and rear walls for maintaining said front and rear Walls in predetermined spaced relation, an eraser and chalk supporting tray extending outwardly from said front wall and having a supporting surface, said supporting surface and said front wall surface meeting at an acute angle, and securing means extending between said f ront and rear walls and through said display panel to maintain both of said walls in close contact with the front and rear faces of said panel.

3. A portable display board construction comprising a panel having front and rear faces and an edge, a unitary extruded trim over said edge and means for securing said trim over said edge, said trim comprising a rear Wall along said rear face, a front wall along said front face and having means dening at least one article supporting channel extending forwardly from said front wall, and an edge wall maintaining said front and rear walls in predetermined spaced relation.

4. A portable display board construction comprising a unitary extruded divider including front and rear walls, a transverse web maintaining said front and rear walls in predetermined spaced relation, a pair of intermediate longitudinal webs extending from said transverse web and substantially parallel to said front and rear walls dening therewith four display panel receiving channels, and four display boards received in said channels in back-to-back pairs edgewise of one another.

5. A portable display board construction for display boards, panels and blackboards comprising a relatively flexible display panel having a substantially uniform relatively narrow cross sectional thickness, said panel having front and rear parallel faces of substantially large area as compared to such cross sectional thickness and said panel having wear susceptible edges, a substantially elongated, rigid, extruded metal trim protectively enclosing at least one of the peripheral edges of such panel, fastening means securing said protective trim over said edge, said trim comprising substantially rigid, substantially parallel, and substantially long spaced apart front and rear walls, said front and rear walls each in cross .sectional thickness being of the order of substantially less than one third of the cross sectional thickness of said panel, the inner CFI faces of said parallel front and rear walls throughout their length snugly engaging and contacting the opposed parallel faces of said panel, said outer peripheral edges of said front and rear walls being integrally and rigidly joined by a peripherally and normally disposed relatively short and relatively rigid marginal or peripheral wall of substantially cross sectional thickness and having inherent rigidity by reason of its relatively narrow width and its relatively thick cross sectional dimension whereby to maintain said front and rear walls in substantially rigid, predetermined spaced relation, said front and rear Walls extending inwardly of said marginal wall a distance more than three times the cross sectional distance apart of said front and rear walls whereby said trim encloses and rigidies substantial marginal portions of said display board, panel, blackboard or the like, said front wall at its outer portion having an angularly disposed integral extension forming an eraser and chalk supporting tray extending outwardly from said wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 115,247 Bonnell June 13, 1939 23,343 Beebe Mar. 29, 1859 187,145 Hyatt Feb. 6, 1877 260,688 Kane July 4, 1882 281,112 Mitchell July 10, 1883 347,696 Du Shane Aug. 17, 1886 424,931 Marks Apr. 1, 1890 672,383 Luther Apr. 16, 1901 1,675,198 Scott June 26, 1928 1,790,549 Masters Jan. 27, 1931 1,881,636 Johnson et al. Oct. 11, 1932 2,297,072 Raggio Sept. 29, 1942 2,303,120 McK. Greaves-Walker Nov. 24, 1942 2,319,278 Urbane May 18, 1943 2,348,658 Slaughter May 9, 1944 2,388,297 Slaughter Nov. 6, 1946 2,469,347 Windhorst May 3, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 416,164 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1934 OTHER REFERENCES Aluminum Mouldings, Aluminum Co. of America; Pittsburgh, Pa. (dated Received August 30, 1928). 

